Monthly Maritime News Roundup: January, 2016

^Image “Happy New Year 2016” courtesy of noppasinw at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As January comes to a close, Kemplon Engineering takes a look back at some of the major news and developments of 2016’s first month, in this edition of the Monthly Maritime News Roundup:

Iran. 2016 had a rocky start for 10 American sailors straying into the hands of Iranian authorities in mid-January. Apparently deviating from a planned route, the sailors were then apprehended at gunpoint in Iranian territorial waters and held for about 15 hours prior to being released, unharmed. Of the military assets they had with them, the only things reported missing are two satellite phone sim cards. The incident happened amid efforts by the United States and Iran to improve diplomatic relations, developments which have been credited for the speedy diffusion of a tense situation that otherwise could have had dangerous consequences.

The outcome was far more tragic for servicemen who had figured in an Aircraft Collision off Hawaii. Two military helicopters on a routine training exercise reportedly collided off Oahu, leading to the loss of 12 Marines. Search and rescue efforts have since been suspended, but had involved the Coast Guard, the Navy, and state authorities. They would ultimately cover over 40,000 square nautical miles, but there were no survivors or remains recovered. Kemplon Engineering is one with the country in condoling with the loved ones of those lost.

In other news, the U.S. Navy deploys its ‘Great Green Fleet’ – with some warships using alternative fuels. The deployment is part of initiatives by the Navy to have greater flexibility and combat capability through better energy efficiency. As Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus had reportedly said, “It keeps … fuel from being used as a weapon against us.”

The Navy had found a link between their objectives and green initiatives. Also finding that connection are Major Cruise Lines Collaborating with Conservation Groups to protect vital ocean resources. Carnival Corporation, which has a history of providing support to The Nature Conservancy, has announced it was hosting various organizations to TNC’s yearly Mapping Ocean Wealth Forum. Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, has pledged to reduce their emissions and improve sustainability and is collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund (“WWF”) toward this and other objectives, like raising conservation awareness in their cruisers.

While this is a positive turn for the environment, recent findings show some of our ocean’s resources are probably more damaged than originally believed. According to a new study, official data on global fish catches is much smaller than the actual figures, which means we have a much worse problem with overfishing and declining stocks than we might think. As much as 32 million metric tons of fish may be unreported, due to limited information from nations, smaller and subsistence fishing activities, illegal fishing, and discarded fish. According to researchers, better estimates can help us with sustaining fish for the future. Otherwise, it’s analogous to ‘withdrawing from a bank account without knowing the amount withdrawn or the balance remaining.’

We at Kemplon Engineering strive to keep our blog up-to-date with the maritime issues of the day, as part of our commitment to meeting the needs and interests of our marine and industrial customers. If you are interested in our company and the engineering services we can provide, explore our website too, and learn about welding and fabrication, precision machining, pipe fitting, laser cutting, and more! We just might have the solutions you need for your own projects and ideas. Contact us at info@kemplon.com, or by phone at (877) 522-6526. We would love to hear from you!